My wife and I went to Varadero, Cuba for our honeymoon in 2009. Because we were on a tight budget, we spent most of our days on the resort. The only time we were able to leave the resort, was for the Havana day tour – which was the only tour we booked. Most all inclusive vacation packages are similar, regardless of the destination. They are usually 7 night/8 day packages and include daily buffet style meals plus 2 to 3 À la carte dinners. You will definitely enjoy this type of get-away-from-it-all vacation for a few days, but staying on a resort for an entire week can get repetitive and boring. This is why it is highly recommended to plan various activities outside of the resort.

Thanks to our honeymoon experience, my wife and I are now very aware of what to expect. So this time, we decided to book at least 3 extra tours in Puerto Vallarta with the help of a local Sun Wing agent. Because we have a 2-year-old daughter, the agent recommended the ‘Las Caletas Beach Hideaway’ tour. Las Caletas is a beach located south of Puerto Vallarta, and it is only accessible by boat. Nowadays, the beach can only be accessed when accompanied by the tour operator, Vallarta Adventures.

Initially, I didn’t have high expectations for this particular tour. I was more excited for the world famous “Hidden Beach” on the Marietas Islands - which we also booked through Sun Wing. I will describe our ‘Marietas Eco Discovery tour’ experience in detail later on - but I have to admit – in retrospect, ‘Las Caletas Beach Hideaway’ was a better tour than the ‘Marietas Eco Discovery’ tour. It is truly a family oriented tour that will live up to everyone’s expectation.

Canon EOS 5D MKII

Canon EOS 5D MKII

When we arrived at the island, we were greeted by local models dressed in traditional Indian costumes.

A local musician played some tunes while we enjoyed delicious tacos. It was a special treat. :)

Canon EOS 5D MKII

Canon EOS 5D MKII

Activities

There is so much you can do in Las Caletas. You can take part on a guided snorkel tour or pick up some equipment and go scuba diving. You can also grab a stand-up paddleboard or a kayak and explore the cove waters. Although my wife was pregnant with our 2nd daughter, we couldn’t resist riding a kayak together. We came all the way to Mexico and we wanted to experience everything in Puerto Vallarta.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS25

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS25

Snorkeling is a fun way to view the colourful and fascinating world beneath the ocean’s surface. The guided tour provides you with all necessary equipment, allowing you to observe coral and marine life without scaring fish away or having to come up out of the water for air every minute. Just floating around and being immersed within the underwater scenery is enough to rid the accumulated stress from our everyday lives. But the best part of the experience is definitely touching and swimming with the live octopus, sea urchin and various tropical fish underwater.

GoPro Hero3 Silver

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS25

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS25

There are also plenty of other fun activities that you can experience away from the water. You can discover the island’s flora and bird life on a guided nature walk. The package includes a continental breakfast, lunch, open bar, animal encounters, a yoga lesson, a paella lesson and the Kid’s Adventure Park. Spa treatments, clay modeling, scuba diving, power snorkeling, and snorkeling with sea lions are available for an extra fee.

During the animal encounter, you can get really close to the animals and take great photos with parrots, monkeys, eagles and even snakes!

My wife and I wanted to bring home some souvenirs so we took a clay modeling lesson with our daughter. The instructor made it so easy that we were able to make our own clay turtle in only a few minutes. As you can see in the picture below, our clay turtle doesn’t look that bad. :) If you have a kid, I would absolutely recommend the clay modeling lesson. It only costs 6 USD and it is definitely worth the money.

This sums up the 2nd part of our Puerto Vallarta vacation. Stay tuned for part 3! My next post will focus on our guided tour and experience at the “Hidden Beach” on the Marietas Islands. See you soon!

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